The Carolina Panthers will try to stay unbeaten when they take on the Houston Texans in a key Thursday Night Football showdown. Carolina is off to a 2-0 start after winning just five games in each of the past two seasons, while Houston is 1-1. Kickoff from NRG Stadium is at 8:20 p.m. ET. Carolina is an eight-point favorite in the latest Panthers vs. Texans odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over-Under is 43.

Before you make any Panthers vs. Texans picks, you NEED to check out the latest NFL predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up almost $7,800 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago. It went a sizzling 24-14 on top-rated NFL picks last season, returning more than $800. The model also enters Week 3 of the 2021 season on an incredible 122-81 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past five years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is WAY UP!

The model knows Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold is off to a strong start to the season, completing 68.5 percent of his passes. He threw for 305 yards passing, two touchdowns, and one interception in Week 2.

The model also knows Houston wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who leads the team with 14 receptions for 210 yards (15.0 average) and one touchdown, has four explosive plays of 20 yards or more and has already converted eight first downs on the year. Cooks had nine receptions for 78 yards and a score in Week 2 and is looking for his fourth game in a row with 75 receiving yards.

Now, the model has set its sights on Panthers vs. Texans. We can tell you it's leaning Over the total, and it also says one side of the spread cashes in over 50 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any NFL picks of your own.

So who wins Panthers vs. Texans on Thursday Night Football? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Panthers vs. Texans spread you should be all over, all from the advanced model that has returned almost $7,900 on top-rated NFL picks!